Time Traveler Part I (Feeling Like The World Forgot Me)

Chapter 19

Since defrosting, Ben had found himself unable to enjoy food. He could taste it, recognise if it was spicy or fruity or salty, but it had seemed like the air he breathed had a more interesting flavour. He wondered why the porridge Foley had just made was any different, why it was suddenly so delicious to him.

"Um..."

Ben glanced at Ali, who had scanned him with the same device three times now. "What's wrong?"

"I think it's broken," Ali confessed.

"What's it say?"

"Well..." He held Ben's wrist, two fingertips to his vein. "Your heartbeat's definitely much stronger than it was last we checked. Steadier, too. I suppose it could be working, but I don't understand how your lungs would suddenly be this much healthier."

Ben frowned. "When Maxx caught me he said that some of my augments are supposed to help me survive after being frozen for so long, but they hadn't been properly activated. Maybe he got them working after all."

Foley looked up from his bowl of porridge, looking unsure of whether this was a good time to start feeling hopeful. Maybe Ben was just projecting.

"Did he do anything else?" Ali asked interestedly.

"He connected our circulatory systems." He showed Ali the ports on his wrist, which connected to blood vessels as it turned out. "I suppose he's probably immune to whatever I have so his blood would help immunise me."

Ali looked pained. "That was an...interesting decision."

Ben frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"Well...you can't just do that. There are blood types and things, and with how far along the virus had developed he would have made himself sick too. The risk of complication is much too high to make trying something like that worth it. It probably wouldn't work anyway."

Ben looked down. "I fucking knew it." That goddamn dumbass...

The door creaked and Ben was on his feet, a gun pointed to it as it opened. He relaxed when Patty poked his head in, turning the tint on his contacts down. As Ben holstered his weapon, Patty raced in and almost crashed into him, squeezing him tightly.

"I had to come."

Ben hugged him back. "I'm sorry."

They separated and Ben's chest tightened at the sadness in Patty's eyes.

"I didn't want you to think I forgot about you."

Cody took Patty's hand and pulled him towards his bunk. "You should lie down," he said gently.

As they sat, Awsten joining them and asking Patty how he was doing, Zach and Geoff came in. The bunker felt tiny with so many people in it.

"So what do you think, Ali?" Ben asked.

"I wouldn't want to raise hopes if I'm wrong, but...you definitely have a bit more time, at least."

Patty sat up. "What are you talking about?"

"Maxx activated augments that help me fight disease," Ben summarised, "I'm feeling better now."

"Who is Maxx?" Cody demanded, pulling Patty back to his side.

Ben looked down. "He was my friend before I was sent here. Ogre captured him and turned him into their puppet. They sent him here to capture me when I was defrosted and they picked up the signal from my tracker."

"Shitty friend," Cody commented.

Ben shot him a look. "He was the greatest friend I've ever had. He didn't just swap sides on a whim, Ogre turned him into what he is now." He looked at the space heater. "It's one of their favourite games. Any time they get their hands on someone they can use, they torture and operate and mindwipe and condition until everything they were disappears. Then they send them after their friends." He doubted OGR had any idea that Ben and Maxx had known each other, though. This time, it was just a sick coincidence.

"So it is Ogre that's behind this?" Foley asked, "They're still around?"

"That's what it looks like."

The room was silent for a moment.

"What the fuck is Ogre?" Awsten asked.

For maybe the first time since being stationed on Zsashos V, Ben found himself wanting to genuinely laugh. It was so strange to think that despite everything he might actually have another shot at life. A life on this gods-forsaken space station. A life with these odd but kind and welcoming people. What the fuck was he supposed to do with himself now?